The Philadelphia 76ers will undoubtedly scour the market for players who can reliably back up Joel Embiid next season. The team’s struggles holding down the fort in his absence were well-documented, and it wouldn’t take a trained eye to see just how much the team would benefit from having someone who can keep them afloat in games where he’s absent or sitting on the bench.

However, by kismetic proportions, one of the very few holdovers from this season is actually a big man who can help the 76ers out in that department in the form of Paul Reed. Having said that, his contract is actually not guaranteed for the next campaign, and the front office’s unyielding cost-cutting maneuvers could make him a casualty of that.

The 76ers can get an ideal backup big man in the trade market

In addition, Reed was from from a steady hand this season. In Embiid’s stead, he juggled in between roles, starting in some games and backing up Mo Bamba, an impending free agent, on occasion. Nick Nurse’s vision for him, however, didn’t even come close to materializing, as he simply failed to take that expected leap.

Much has already been said about the litany of options in free agency that Philly should have on its palms when filling that void. But realistically speaking, the front office should also be able to find great alternatives in the trade market. In fact, here is a trade proposal that has the 76ers stealing an underrated big man from a powerhouse in the Western Conference.

76ers trade for Santi Aldama in proposed draft day swap

In this draft day trade proposal, the Philadelphia 76ers acquire big man Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies for a draft-centered package which includes Paul Reed, their second-round draft pick this year from Chicago, and a future 2027 second-rounder from Milwaukee.

Aldama heads to the 76ers via a sign-and-trade after the Grizzlies pick up his team option in this scenario while Reed’s contract is guaranteed for next season.

Memphis, one of the strongest teams in the West when healthy, had one of the most injury-marred campaigns in recent history this season, with the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and their main guns all missing significant time due to injury. Steven Adams got traded to Houstons midway through the year, leaving them lacking grunt in the front court.

On the flip side, though, how would this trade hypothetically move the needle for Philly?

How trading for Santi Aldama can help Philadelphia

In a league currently infatuated with playing small for the most part, having big men who can defend, slug it out in the paint, and even step out and hit the occasional three pointer is a nice luxury to have. The Memphis Grizzlies have two of them: a former Defensive Player of the Year in Jaren Jackson Jr., and to a lesser degree, a serviceable tweener in Santi Aldama.

A league-average three-point shooter over the last couple of years, Aldama has nicely settled into the Grizzlies rotation as one of their nightly plug-and-play pieces. He’s been Taylor Jenkins’ preferred spot starter when Jackson or Adams is out, as his 6’11” frame allows him to play both power forward and the nominal center position.

The Spaniard profiles as an intruiging role player for the 76ers who can take on multiple hats on both ends. While he’s best suited as a big stretch four next to Embiid or other centers, he can also function as a lone big man in more offensive-minded configs, something that would definitely give Nick Nurse more variance to employ offensively.

For a relatively menial contract in a sign-and-trade scenario, Aldama has the stylings and makings to be a hell of a bargain. After all, his skill set is pretty in-demand, and the 76ers should have perfect use for what he can bring to the table.

But is Aldama worth the price of admission for the 76ers?

Notwithstanding the merits of bringing Aldama into the fold, the resounding truth is that he is definitely not what the 76ers truly need for a role player they are paying two second-round picks for. Aldama is more of an oversized wing than a malleable center, and that could ultimately be the pendulum swinger in determining whether or not he’s worth the price of admission.

At this juncture, it would make more sense for Philly to exhaust their flippable assets, like second-round picks, for a more secure commodity. That could be in the form of a higher-end role player like, well, Kelly Olynyk or other big men who definitely profile as such. Preserving second-rounders as pot sweeteners for more desirable players is also more reasonable.

Aldama also isn’t spotless. While projected as a floor-spacing big, his career-best rate of 35.3 percent shooting from downtown doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence for a designated space-generator. While he has the size to play center, his rebounding is pretty average at best, and he’s not particularly difficult to shove around for opposing big men.

Ultimately, though, Aldama is still just 23 years old, so his best years should be ahead of him. While his on-court cons can be pretty stark and the 76ers have more pressing needs, the Spaniard could be a worthwhile investment for both the present and the foreseeable future.